


prompts + requests

by freckledrob



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: i just really like writing these guys if you didn't know, no beta we die like men, we'll see if this goes anywhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:21:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26151814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freckledrob/pseuds/freckledrob
Summary: feel free to send me requests!! (robert, aaron, liv, gabby, vic, matty, adam, etc)@cherubliv on twitter + friendlycitrus on tumblr
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden, Liv Flaherty/Gabby Thomas
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	1. the paint could peel, the glass could shatter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anon asked: _Please can you do a roblivion doc where Liv has her scan results at the hospital and is diagnosed with epilepsy and how her and her family try to come to terms With it? Please try and ignore Robert going to prison! Thank you. ___

“Second time. You know what that means.”

Fear filled her eyes and voice. She looked up at them like she hoped they’d have the answers. Even though she knew they didn’t.

They’d told her it would be okay. That they’d handle it. As a family. 

But Liv Flaherty has never been one to trust easily. No matter how much she loves Aaron and Robert, they’re not doctors, they don’t  _ know _ that everything will be alright. They weren’t there when she fell by the water, who’s to say that they’ll be around the next time? Who’s to say anyone will?

So weeks pass and she stews in her worries, letting them get the better of her. She snaps at Robert when he asks her what she wants for tea, she blows off Gabby when she asks to hang out, she won’t hold Seb or Eve. She knows she’s being a pain, but she can’t help it. She’s scared. And when the results from her scans come through, her fears are confirmed.

Epilepsy.

The night the results come in, her brothers sit at the kitchen table. She sits at the top of the stairs and listens. It’s late and she knows she should be getting more rest, but she wants to know what Aaron and Robert think. 

_ “What if she can’t cope?” _ Aaron’s voice is mumbled. Liv supposes he’s chewing on a hangnail again or pressing his mouth against his palm.

Robert’s voice is surer than her brother’s.  _ “She’ll cope. She’s strong. You know she is.” _

_ “Yeah, but this…” _

_ “Will all be okay. _ **_She_ ** _ will be okay. You heard what the doctor said, she should be alright as long as she takes her meds and doesn’t put herself in any high-risk situations.” _

_ “Oh what, like the first time?” _

There’s a silence. It’s no secret that everything that happened with Robert, Victoria, and Lee on top of everything with Jacob had been a major stressor on Liv’s life. Everything was really messy for a while. But it wasn’t Robert’s fault she’d had her first seizure, they all knew that. Aaron was just frustrated.

_ “Sorry.” _ Aaron’s voice is quiet. It was a fairly low blow and he knows it.

Robert sighs,  _ “S’alright.” _

_ “No. I shouldn’t’ve- I didn’t mean that. It wasn’t your fault, I shouldn’t have made it seem like it was. I’m just-” _

_ “Scared?” _

_ “A bit.” _

She can hear the reassuring smile when Robert speaks.  _ “She’s got this. We have got this. Alright?” _

The sound of their lips meeting is quickly interrupted by Seb fussing on the baby monitor. Chairs scoot away from the table and Liv huries to her feet as quietly as she can and tip toes back to her bedroom.

While Aaron is busy trying to settle the cranky toddler, Robert pops his head into her room to check on her. 

“You alright?”

She sits up a bit and shrugs. There’s not exactly a lot she can say.

He leans against her door frame, illuminated by the hall light and the soft glow of her bedside lamp. “You’ll be okay, Liv. I know you will.”

“I hope you’re right.” She pauses. “It’d be a first.”

They both crack smiles and Robert huffs out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.

“Yeah, you’ll be just fine. And hey-” He starts to turn around but stops himself.

“If you ever want to know what we think, just ask. No point in sitting at the top of the stairs by yourself.”

She freezes. “I-”

“You’re not exactly the most subtle teenager in the world, Liv. You might as well have been stomping back to your room.”

Aaron suddenly appears behind Robert, hand on his shoulder. “Everythin’ alright in here?”

She nods. “Yeah. Everything’s great.”

And maybe overall things kind of suck. But  _ this _ , what they’ve got here, is pretty flipping amazing.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from "the bones" by maren morris (i highly recommend the hozier duet version, i'm in love w/ it)
> 
> feel free to send prompts via tumblr!
> 
> comments and kudos are very much appreciated 💗
> 
> find me @cherubliv on twitter + friendlycitrus on tumblr! ✨


	2. i don't wanna mess this up, i don't wanna say too much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> into-the-roblivion asked: _Oh boy. I’ve been obsessed with the idea of Liv!Gabby for the past few weeks. Maybe Liv is thinking about asking Gabby out on a date. She is insecure about dating (due to her asexuality and also because Gabby’s a girl and she’s never gone out with girls before.) I’d love for her to have a conversation with Rob and/or Aaron where they try to reassure her and maybe give her some dating advice??? ___
> 
> _  
> _(i hope i did alright!)_  
> _

Movie nights are a great way to relax. Just Aaron, Robert, and whatever film they finally decide on after bickering about it for ages (although it usually ends up being something they’ve already seen and they end up distracted by each other’s mouths by the time they’ve reached the middle of the film).

But it’s hard to just chill with your husband when barely fifteen minutes into Star Wars (Robert’s pick, Aaron was feeling generous), your moody kid sister stands in front of the telly with her arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face like she’s seven and not seventeen.

“ _ What? _ ” Aaron doesn’t even try to hide his annoyance. He was preparing to adjust Robert’s attention from the film to himself in another fifteen minutes so this was really putting a spanner in his plans.

“Need to talk to ya,” She shrugs casually, like it’s so obvious that she would go out of her way to leave her room at nine o’clock at night just to talk to them. Like she didn’t know that he and Robert were planning to spend time alone, dimly lit by the television screen.

Aaron wants to send her back upstairs and tell her that whatever it is, it can wait until the morning. But he can see the look on her face. She’s nervous.  _ Really _ nervous. So he gestures to the chair next to them and elbows Robert to sit up straight.

“Let’s hear it then. What’s up?”

“Kissed Gabby today.” The words tumble out, quiet and muffled but not soft enough that they can’t hear her.

When she speaks again, her voice is a bit clearer and she shakes her head slightly, like she’s still trying to process it herself. 

“Well. She kissed me. I think. And I kissed her back.”

“Oh” is all Robert comes up with from beside him.

She gives a small nod and repeats him. “ _ Oh. _ ”

“I thought Gabby wasn’t… I mean after she… and I thought you…” God, he’s  _ really _ bad at this.

“I thought so too. And as for me, I dunno. There’s no law saying I can’t still be figuring stuff out. I just don’t think I know enough to  _ know…  _ ya know? At least not right now.”

And weirdly enough, Aaron thinks he does know what she means.

“So what happened? After, I mean?” It’s just as well that Robert asks, because Aaron’s trying to mull over the right words to say. He knows his sister. One wrong move and she’ll never talk to them (or Gabby for that matter) for at least a week. 

“I asked her what it was about. After last time, I couldn’t be sure. Said she wasn’t ready to even think about it then but she’s gettin’ there now. I told her I needed to think.”

“Right, well that’s smart.” Robert’s so good at this. He knows how to talk to Liv in a way that Aaron doesn’t sometimes.

Liv bites the inside of her cheek before thinking. “And now I’ve thought about it.”

“If you’ve come to a decision, what do you need us for?” He manages to get the words out in a way that, hopefully, won’t come across as insensitive. 

“Cause I don’t know how to do it!” She slumps back in the chair. “I dunno how to tell her how I really feel. I don’t really know how to date  _ boys _ , let alone girls! And I definitely don’t know how to date my best mate!”

She groans and somehow sinks further into the cushions, looking defeated.

“Liv.” Robert says. “Liv, sit up. Listen to me, yeah?”

She does as she’s told, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. She’s freaking out and her internal feelings are starting to bubble to the surface. 

“You don’t need to make a big deal out of it, alright? Sure, I know it seems like it’s...  _ massive. _ But you’re only seventeen okay, it feels like the end of the world if she turns you down but it’s not. And from the sounds of it, she won’t even say no. Don’t push yourself too far down into your head, it’s dangerous in there. All that extra space, who knows what it’ll come up with.”

She throws a pillow at him for that last bit, but she seems calmer now. 

“C’mon. I’ll make you a cup of tea and then you should head back to bed. Sounds like you’ve got a big day ahead of ya.”

She smiles in a way Aaron’s not sure he’s seen before. Soft. Determined.  _ Ready. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from "best friend" by ingrid michaelson
> 
> feel free to send prompts via tumblr!
> 
> comments and kudos are very much appreciated 💗
> 
> find me @cherubliv on twitter + friendlycitrus on tumblr! ✨


	3. love, you're not alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anon asked: _Please may we have a fic where Liv moves to uni and Aaron and Robert help her to move in followed by an emotional goodbye? Thank you._

“So… this is it.”

Liv rolls her eyes, tosses her recently trimmed blonde hair behind her. “You make it sound so...  _ final _ . You’ll see me at Christmas, idiot.”

Aaron shoves her shoulder gently, “Oi cheeky, I know that! But I just mean…”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Her voice is soft and there’s a smile on her face. She’s so grown up. Ready to take university by storm. But at the same time, they’ve spent the past six years together. Growing. Learning.  _ Everything _ . 

And now it’s time to keep moving forward. Which is good, Aaron’s happy for her. But, it’s also bittersweet, of course.

Liv makes a face at him, clearly trying to shake away any sappiness that might follow.

Someone clears their throat.

“Right, I appreciate this sentimental moment and all… But I seriously don’t know  _ where this piece goes. _ ”

Robert’s sitting on the floor, screw in one hand, furniture instructions in the other.

“Why does IKEA have to make everything so flipping complicated? It’s a bedside table, not the flaming Tower of Pisa...”

“Is looking a bit wonky like the Tower of Pisa though...” Liv points out with a tilt of her head, grinning at the glare she gets from the older man.

Aaron crouches down and together they figure out where Robert went wrong (Liv: “Well where do I start?”). It doesn’t actually take too long and before they know it, they’re actually saying their goodbyes for real this time.

“You’re gonna do great, Liv. I know you will.”

“Yeah well…” She sighs, “I’m only here because of you guys. You’ve helped me so much.”

“Whatever,” Aaron huffs, “You got here because you have what it takes. You’re strong and you’re amazing.”

She sniffs. “I just… I want you guys to know how much you mean to me. How much you taking me in means to me. I dunno where I’d be without you. You’ve changed everything for me and I’ll… I’ll always be grateful. You gave me a proper home and a good life.”

Robert pulls her in, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“I love you both so much.” Her voice is barely above a whisper now.

“You changed my life too, Liv,” Robert tells her, “Don’t forget that. You’ll always be my kid sister, in-law or not. You’re never alone. You’ve always got us. And Gabby. And Chas and Paddy. And Vic. And-”

“Yeah, I got it, Rob,” Liv lets out a watery laugh, but it’s not malicious or sarcastic. Her smile is fond and grateful.

When they part, she smiles and turns to Aaron, teary-eyed. They don’t say anything at first, just wrap their arms around each other, holding tight.

“You’re the best brother ever, you know that? You’re the strongest, best person I know.”

Aaron leans back, looking her in the eyes, “Yeah well you’re the best sister ever. And I’ve never known a better kid, even with all the grief you’ve given us.”

They all laugh, tears pricking their eyes. 

“I’m gonna miss you guys loads. But it’s because of you, and the rest of the village, that I know I can do this.”

She holds her arms out for one last hug and they both willingly accept. 

By the time they actually make it out the door, Aaron thinks he might be all-cried out.

“And to think…” Robert says. “We’re going to have to do this again with Seb one day.”

Aaron gives a quiet huff of laughter. “We’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

“We did alright with her though, yeah? All things considered?”

He nods, “Yeah. We did.”

They’ve never been prouder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from "stand by you" by rachel platten
> 
> feel free to send prompts via tumblr!
> 
> comments and kudos are very much appreciated 💗
> 
> find me @cherubliv on twitter + friendlycitrus on tumblr! ✨


	4. oh, girls just wanna have fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _aarondingle420 (on twitter) said: if eb's doing gay lil prompts on ao3 i want gabby doing a full murder on l*chlan and her and liv burying the body also it's a romcom_
> 
> i... have done my best (i really hope you (& others) enjoy) 
> 
> (yeah this isn't what i usually write but i quite enjoyed this)
> 
> basically this takes place summer of 2018, with a few canon divergences (obviously)
> 
> _tw for blood and murder and all that_

Everything happened so fast. And now, time is almost completely still. Nearly frozen. 

Liv is sitting on the ground, holding her wrist in her hand and breathing heavy from the preceding events. Gabby stands above Lachlan, covered in sprayed blood from when the axe she’s still holding had connected with the older boy’s neck.

“Is he dead?” Liv’s voice is strained and her eyes won’t leave the gaping wound in his incredibly still body. “He’s gotta be dead, right?”

Gabby kicks the bastard in the stomach. 

_Nothing._ Not a cry. Not a shout. Not even a whimper.

“Yeah, he’s gone.”

The blonde lets out a relieved sigh, leaning back to lay on the dirty floor of the cricket pavilion. Gabby sits down next to her with a soft thud, pulling her sweater sleeve over her hand and wiping gently under the other girl’s nose.

Liv tenses at the first touch, looking up at Gabby with confusion in her tired blue eyes.

“Your nose…” She blushes, “There was some blood, so I…”

“Oh…” Liv’s shoulders relax, “Thanks. Probably from when he elbowed me.”

* * *

_“You little bitch!” Lachlan holds his head, now bleeding from where the torch Liv had thrown connected with his temple. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t her best move to throw one of their limited sources of light at a literal psychopath, but he had thrown Gabby to the ground so she thought fast and just chucked it._

_He charges at her, fury blazing in his eyes and fists clenched. There’s a struggle. He reaches, she ducks, she knees him in the stomach, he elbows her in the nose, she kicks his shin, he slams her body against the wall. She falls to the ground at that, her head and wrist had both made excruciating contact from the force with which he shoved her. He’s standing above her, muddy boot inches above her head and she thinks “This is it. This is how I die. Not with a bang but by the foot of psycho privileged perv.”_

_She glares up at him. She’s not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear. Even if she is internally bricking it. She does close her eyes calmly when she thinks he’s starting to move. She’s not sure she has the energy to do anything else._

_But death doesn’t come. Not to her._

_There’s a thud and she manages to pry open one of her eyes, then the other, as she sits up and faces the scene around her._

* * *

Gabby’s laying down next to her now, their fingers intertwined between them.

“What do we do now?” 

“We’ve got to bury him, I suppose.”

Liv sits up again, head still pounding, and she looks over at Lachlan’s dead body.

“ _Shit._ ”

“Yeah...”

* * *

_They got into the pavilion with ease. They’re sitting, listening, watching, waiting. Knees and elbows are touching._

_The door opens, they get up. Lachlan’s there, sure-of-himself smirk spread across his face._

_“What’s all this about? Didn’t realise we were throwing a party?”_

_“We’re not.” Liv stiffens her back, standing as tall as she can at five feet._

_“We know what you did, Lachlan. What you’ve done,” Gabby tells him, keeping her cool as much as possible. “And you’re not getting away with it. Not anymore.”_

_She brings her hands out from behind her back, hoping the older boy doesn’t notice as her hands slightly tremble around the handle of the axe._

_He laughs, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t know what the hell you’re doing, do you?”_

_“I’m a quick learner,” She shrugs, “And after everything you’ve done, you need to be knocked down a peg or two.”_

_“Is that so?” He steps forward. She holds still, weapon tight in hand. Liv’s right next to her. “And so what if I’ve done bad things? Are you so innocent?”_

_“I’ve never killed anyone!”_

_She swings once, as a warning._

_“Especially not my mum! Or my grandad! Or my best friend!”_

_Another warning. He glares at her._

_“Sometimes people need to die.”_

_On her third swing, he manages to grab the handle. Her eyes go wide and he tugs and throws her to the ground._

_Her brain feels a bit fuzzy. He’s standing over her. Then…_

_“Leave her alone!”_

_Liv throws something. Diverts his attention. Gabby slowly pulls herself together and, axe in hand, stands up. He’s going for Liv now. She can’t have him get her. Not Liv._

* * *

There was a sheet that could be used to hide him. It had been a bit of a task, getting his body rolled up, but they managed alright. It was the idea of dragging his body through the field and finding somewhere secluded that seemed impossible.

“How are we going to do this?” Liv asks, wincing from the pain of her most-likely-sprained wrist. “I don’t think I help carry him, not for very long anyway.”

Gabby bites her tongue, thinking. 

“What about your brother?”

“ _Aaron?_ You’re kidding me, he’d have a fucking mental breakdown!” Liv pauses, takes a deep breath. “But Rob might be able to.”

She watches her pull out her phone and tap on Robert’s contact before putting it to her ear.

_Silence._ Then…

“Rob, it’s Liv... Yeah I know it’s late, okay? Can you…” Liv bites the inside of her cheek, “C-can you come over to the cricket pavilion? Really need your help. It’s… bad. We’ve... done something, Gabby and I. And we need help taking care of it.”

There’s the sound of muffled affirmation and Liv hangs up. 

“He’ll be here.”

* * *

_“I think Lachlan tried to kill me and Robert.”_

_“Sorry…” Gabby chokes on her tea, “What?”_

_“I swear I saw him in the Mill, the day of the carbon monoxide leak. I think he made me hurt my head. I think he’s the reason Chrissie, Lawrence, and Gerry are all dead. And now I think he’s going to try to shut me up.”_

_Gabby blinks, “Are you sure?”_

_Liv nods, “Nearly positive. I went to confront him and he tried to get in my head, convince me I was messed up. But I’m not backing down. And I think he knows that.”_

_They look around the mostly empty cafe. It’s quiet except for the sounds of the machines and Brenda humming in the back. But it’s better to be safe than sorry._

_“Let’s meet up tonight,” Gabby suggests. “At the cricket pavilion. Eight o’clock?”_

_“Are you sure?”_

_“Yeah and… tell him to meet us there.”_

_“What?”_

_Gabby sets her cup down. “If he’s done what we think he’s done, he needs to be taught a lesson. He needs to know we’re not to be messed with.”_

_“So you really do believe me?”_

_She reaches across the table and rests her hand on Liv’s._

_“One hundred percent.”_

* * *

They’re in the back of Robert’s car. She’s not sure why the radio is on, but the soft crooning of whoever’s singing is almost comforting. Maybe Robert thought it would help. 

Liv’s next to her, their pinkies barely linked. Robert had shown up and asked very few questions. Gabby helped him haul the body… _Lachlan’s body_ … into the trunk, next to some petrol and a couple of shovels. And now that they were in the car, she didn’t know where they were going. She barely registered anything other that Liv next to her and the quiet hum of the radio. 

“We’re here.” The car has stopped and Robert gets out. They follow.

“Where exactly is ‘here’?” Gabby asks.

“Edge of town. Empty except for the trees. Probably some wildlife running around, but we shouldn’t be bothered.”

“You’re awfully calm.”

Robert sighs, opening the trunk. “The kid was a nuisance to society in more ways than one. I’m not about to let you two go down for this. So we keep clear heads and just keep moving forward from now on, alright?”

They both nod.

“He killed Gerry, Rob,” Liv’s voice isn’t shaky like Gabby thought it might be. She’s angry. “He killed his mum and his grandad, too. I’m pretty sure he caused the leak in the Mill. He’s evil.”

She swallows. “ _Was_ evil.”

“And now I’ve killed him. And I’m not even sure how bad I feel,” Gabby admits. “He was going for Liv and I-”

Robert shakes his head. “It’s fine. It’ll all be fine, alright? I promise.”

She hadn’t even realised they’d been walking until Robert halts and digs his shovel in the ground.

“Grab the other one, will ya Gabs? It’ll go quicker if I have some help.”

So they dig. And dig. Hours must pass, with Liv sitting cross-legged on the sidelines for the most part (other than when she’d run to the car to get the bandages for her arm that Robert said he had brought in case of injury).

She catches a glimpse of Liv’s flushed cheeks and french braids in the glow of the headlights.

_She looks beautiful,_ Gabby thinks, before laughing to herself for thinking that of all things while digging a grave. But it’s true, she is. She’s the moon, shining in all this darkness.

When they finish digging, Gabby grabs the blonde’s face and presses their lips together. She hopes she doesn’t mind the dirt on her hands or the grime on her face. 

Luckily, Liv doesn’t seem to care at all. She kisses her back and it goes on for what seems like ages before Robert clears his throat.

“Ladies…”

“Right,” Gabby pulls Liv to her feet and they huddle together, her arm around the shorter girl’s waist.

They work together to push the body into the freshly dug hole and Robert covers it in petrol before handing the lighter to Liv, who takes it without hesitation and flicks it open and on.

“Rot in hell, loser.” She throws the lighter down.

That’s the end of Lachlan White.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title from "girls just wanna have fun" by cyndi lauper
> 
> feel free to send prompts via tumblr! (or twitter!)
> 
> comments and kudos are very much appreciated 💗
> 
> find me @cherubliv on twitter + friendlycitrus on tumblr! ✨


End file.
